sed in
counting. "_Lum chuck ni niman_" (Twelve days), said he, "have we been
on the road. We have orders not to return till we have captured the
_Plenki_. And you," asked he, inquisitively--"how long have you taken to
come from Ladak?"

He said he could see by my face that I was a native of Kashmere. I was
probably so burnt and dirty that it was hard to distinguish me from a
native. The old man cross-examined me to find out whether I was a native
surveyor sent by the Indian Government to survey the country, and asked
me why I had discarded my native clothes for _Plenki_ (European) ones.
He over and over again inquired whether I was not one of the _Plenki's_
party.

"_Keran ga naddo ung?_" (Where are you going?) he queried.

"_Nhgarang ne koroun Lama jehlhuong_" (I am a pilgrim, going to visit
monasteries).

"_Keran mi japodu_" (You are a good man).

He offered to show me the way to the Gunkyo Lake, and was so pressing
that I accepted. When I saw the two hundred soldiers mount and follow
us, I remonstrated with him, saying that if we were to be friends we did
not need an army to escort us.

"If you are our friend, you can come alone, and we will not injure you,"
I gave him to understand. "But if you are our enemy, we will fight you
and your army here at once, and we will save you the trouble of coming
any farther."

The Tibetan, confused and hesitating, went to confabulate with his men,
and returned some time after with eight of them, while the bulk of his
force galloped away in the opposite direction.

We went across the plain until we came to a hill range, which we crossed
over a pass 17,450 feet high. Then, altering our course, we descended
and ascended several hills, and at last found ourselves in the sheltered
grassy valley of the large Gunkyo Lake, extending from south-east to
north-west. With a temperature of 68 deg. Fahrenheit the water in the
hypsometrical apparatus boiled at 183 deg. 3-1/2' at 8.30 in the evening.
The lake was of extraordinary beauty, with the high snowy Gangri
mountains rising almost sheer from its waters. On the southern side
lofty hills formed a background wild and picturesque, but barren and
desolate beyond words. At the other end of the lake, to the north-west,
were lower mountains skirting the water.

We encamped at 16,455 feet. The Tibetan soldiers pitched their tent some
fifty yards away.

During the evening the Tibetans came to my camp and made themselves
useful. They he